![]() ![]() Dogs are not horses they cost little to acquire and maintain. Fights often went to the death, and winning animals earned huge sums for those who bet on them.īut betting on dogs is not a high-class sport. It loves with the same strength its loyalty remains the stuff of legend.įor decades pit bulls’ tenacity encouraged the sport of dogfighting, with the dogs “pitted” against each other. Bred over centuries to bite and hold large animals like bears and bulls around the face and head, it’s known as a “game dog.” Its bravery and strength won’t allow it to give up, no matter how long the struggle. Its jaw grip is almost impossible to break. began using the symbol in its trademark, His Master’s Voice, in 1900. For my books “ The Law is a White Dog” and “ With Dogs at the Edge of Life,” I explored human-dog relationships and how laws and regulations can deny equal protection to entire classes of beings.Įnglish artist Francis Barraud (1856-1924) painted his brother’s dog Nipper listening to the horn of an early phonograph in 1898. ![]() Starting around 1990, multiple features of American life converged to inspire widespread bans that made pit bulls outlaws, called “ four-legged guns” or “ lethal weapons.” The drivers included some dog attacks, excessive parental caution, fearful insurance companies and a tie to the sport of dog fighting.Īs a professor of humanities and law, I have studied the legal history of slaves, vagrants, criminals, terror suspects and others deemed threats to civilized society. ![]() 26, it’s a fitting time to ask how these dogs came to be seen as a dangerous threat. With National Pit Bull Awareness Day celebrated on Oct. Nipper on the RCA Victor label, Pete the Pup in the “Our Gang” comedy short films, and the flag-wrapped dog on a classic World War I poster all were pit bulls. They were popular in advertising and used to promote the joys of pet-and-human friendship. As recently as 50 years ago, the pit bull was America’s favorite dog. ![]()
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